Radio frequency system subassemblies comprise circuit devices or components, which are internally embedded within the radio frequency system subassemblies, and hermetically sealed field replaceable pins, which comprise glass seal structures, which effectively define electrical connections or interfaces between the internally embedded circuit components or devices and external coaxial connectors under hermetically sealed conditions so as to prevent the internally embedded circuit components or devices from being exposed to any corrosive elements which may be present within the ambient environment. Coaxial cables are adapted to be connected to the coaxial connectors so as to effectively be electrically connected to the circuit components or devices internally embedded within the radio frequency system subassemblies, however, when a multiplicity of coaxial cables are to be electrically connected to the radio frequency system subassemblies in order to electrically connect such coaxial cables to the circuit components or devices internally embedded within the radio frequency system subassemblies, each one of the coaxial cables is adapted to be connected to a respective one of the plurality of hermetically sealed field replaceable pins of the radio frequency system subassemblies by means of coaxial connectors which are individually mounted upon coaxial connector mounting flange structures.
More particularly, as can best be appreciated from FIG. 1, a conventional radio frequency system subassembly is disclosed and is generally indicated by the reference character 10, and in order to provide electrical connections to the aforenoted circuit devices or components, internally embedded within the radio frequency system subassembly 10 but not shown in the drawing, through means of the aforenoted hermetically sealed field replaceable pins, also not shown in the drawing, a suitable coaxial electrical connector 12, to which a coaxial cable, also not shown in the drawing, is to be connected, is integrally and individually incorporated upon a separate standard coaxial connector mounting flange structure 14. It is seen that each one of the standard coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14 has a substantially elongated, elliptical or oval-shaped configuration, and that the coaxial electrical connector 12 is mounted upon a respective one of the standard coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14 at a central region thereof. In addition, a pair of hexagonal-head threaded fasteners 16,16 are adapted to be inserted through opposite end portions of each one of the standard coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14 so as to fixedly mount the standard coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14 upon, for example, the external wall surface 18 of the radio frequency system subassembly 10. In this manner, it can be readily appreciated that each one of the standard coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14 effectively defines a standard single-pin radio frequency coaxial connector mounting flange structure, and that once the electrical connections are in fact made between each one of the coaxial electrical connectors 12 and the corresponding one of the hermetically sealed field replaceable pins, not shown in the drawing, the integrity of the electrical connection, defined between each coaxial cable, not shown in the drawing, and the particular one of the hermetically sealed field replaceable pins, also not shown in the drawing, of the circuit device or component, not shown in the drawing, will be able to be preserved despite external forces which may be impressed upon the coaxial cables electrically connected to the coaxial electrical connectors 12.
Each one of the aforenoted standard single-pin radio frequency coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14 has of course been satisfactory from the viewpoint of reliably securing the coaxial cables and their respective coaxial electrical connectors 12 upon the radio frequency system subassembly 10 such that the coaxial cables and their respective coaxial electrical connectors 12 can assuredly be connected to the hermetically sealed field replaceable pins, not shown in the drawing, of the circuit device or component, also not shown in the drawing. It can readily be appreciated, however, that when each one of the standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14 is mounted in its normal horizontal orientation upon one of the external wall surfaces 18 of the radio frequency system subassembly 10 as illustrated within FIG. 1, each one of the standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14 will exhibit a predetermined laterally or horizontally oriented width dimension.
More particularly, in view of the fact that each one of the coaxial electrical connectors 12 is disposed at the central region of each one of the standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14, and correspondingly, in view of the additional fact that the pair of threaded fasteners 16,16 are disposed within the opposite end portions of each one of the standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14, then it is readily apparent that each one of the coaxial electrical connectors 12 is disposed a predetermined distance from each oppositely disposed external end portion of its standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structure 14. Accordingly, when, for example, a pair of standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14,14 are to be disposed in an adjacent, side-by-side, abutting array or arrangement so as to enable the coaxial cables and the coaxial connectors 12 of the pair of standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14,14 to mate with the hermetically sealed field replaceable pins of the different circuit devices or components disposed internally within the radio frequency system subassembly 10, the minimum center-to-center distance defined between the pair of coaxial electrical connectors 12,12 is significant or substantial, or in other words, is, in fact, equal to twice the distance defined between one of the coaxial electrical connectors 12 and one of the oppositely disposed end portions of each one of the standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14.
Therefore it is to be appreciated still further that such center-to-center distance defined between the pair of coaxial electrical connectors 12, 12 disposed upon the pair of adjacent, side-by-side, and abutting standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14,14 will necessarily dictate the minimum center-to-center distance that can be defined between the hermetically sealed field replaceable pins of the circuit devices or components disposed internally within the radio frequency system subassembly 10. Viewed from a different perspective, the provision or disposition of the circuit devices or components, not shown in the drawing, and the provision or disposition of the hermetically sealed field replaceable pins operatively associated therewith and also not shown in the drawing, internally within the radio frequency system subassembly 10 must correspond to the disposition of the pair of coaxial electrical connectors 12,12 disposed upon the pair of adjacent, side-by-side, and abutting standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14,14. Therefore, the provision or disposition of the circuit devices or components, not shown in the drawing, and the provision or disposition of the hermetically sealed field replaceable pins operatively associated therewith but also not shown in the drawing, internally within the radio frequency system subassembly 10 cannot be achieved in a relatively compact manner. Accordingly, when in fact a plurality of the standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14, such as, for example, three of such standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14 as disclosed within FIG. 1, are mounted upon the radio frequency system subassembly 10, the radio frequency system subassembly 10 will necessarily exhibit predetermined length, volume, and spatial parameters or characteristics whereby the location or accommodation of such radio frequency assemblies 10 within predetermined spatial requirements or housings becomes problematic.
In an attempt to rectify the aforenoted spatial problems comprising the center-to-center distance defined between any pair of adjacent, side-by-side, and abutting standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14,14, it has been proposed to mount pairs of adjacent, side-by-side, standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14,14 at predetermined angles with respect to each other so as to effectively alter the resulting center-to-center distance defined between the pair of adjacent, side-by-side, standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14,14. As can readily be appreciated from FIG. 2, a plurality of adjacent, side-by-side, standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 114,114,114 may be disposed at an angle of, for example, 45° with respect to the original horizontal orientation of the plurality of coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14,14,14 as disclosed within FIG. 1, either in an abutting or non-abutting relationship, such that any pair of coaxial electrical connectors 112,112, disposed upon any pair of adjacent, side-by-side, standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 114,114, will not only be disposed within the same horizontal plane as those of the original coaxial electrical connectors 12,12 so as to be capable of electrically mating with the pair of hermetically sealed field replaceable pins, not shown in the drawing, of the radio frequency system subassembly 110, but in addition, the center-to-center distance defined between each pair of coaxial electrical connectors 112,112 will be less than the center-to-center distance defined between each pair of coaxial electrical connectors 12,12 when the pair of adjacent, side-by-side, and abutting, standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14,14 were disposed in their horizontal orientation as disclosed within FIG. 1.
As a further alternative, the pairs of adjacent, side-by-side, standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 114,114 may be disposed in a substantially vertical or 90° orientation with respect to each other, either in an abutting or non-abutting relationship. In this manner, again, not only will the coaxial electrical connectors 112,112 of each pair of adjacent, side-by-side, standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 114, 114 be disposed within the same horizontal plane as those of the original coaxial electrical connectors 12,12 so as to be capable of electrically mating with the pair of hermetically sealed field replaceable pins, not shown in the drawing, of the radio frequency system subassembly 110, but in addition, the center-to-center distance defined between each pair of coaxial electrical connectors 112,112 will be less than the center-to-center distance defined between each pair of coaxial electrical connectors 12,12 when the pairs of adjacent, side-by-side, and abutting standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14,14 were disposed in their horizontal orientation as disclosed within FIG. 1.
While the aforenoted 45° angularly oriented, or 90° vertically oriented, arrangements or dispositions of the pairs of adjacent, side-by-side, and abutting standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 114,114, as disclosed within FIG. 2, effectively resolved the problem concerning the center-to-center distance defined between each pair of coaxial electrical connectors 12,12 when each pair of adjacent, side-by-side, and abutting standard single-pin co-axial connector mounting flange structures 14,14, were disposed in their horizontal orientation as disclosed within FIG. 1, whereby, for example, the overall width dimension W1, characteristic of the radio frequency system subassembly 10, was able to be effectively reduced to an overall width dimension W2, characteristic of the radio frequency system subassembly 110, the disposition of the pairs of adjacent, side-by-side, standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 114,114 at their relative 45° angular orientation, such as, for example, as illustrated within FIG. 2, or within their vertical or 90° orientation, not illustrated, presented or created an additional problem. In particular, it can readily be appreciated that when each pair of adjacent, side-by-side, standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 114,114 are disposed in either one of their 45° angular, or 90° vertical, orientations, the relative height dimension or depth profile, as defined between the oppositely disposed end portions of each one of the pair of adjacent, side-by-side, standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 114,114, within which the bolt fasteners 116,116 are disposed, is substantially increased to a dimension D2 as compared to the relative height dimension or depth profile D1 characteristic of any one of the standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14, as defined between the upper and lower edge portions of the standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14, when the standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 14, 14 are disposed in their horizontal mode as illustrated in FIG. 1. Accordingly, again, the various radio frequency system subassemblies 110 will necessarily exhibit predeterminedly large depth, size, volume, and spatial parameters or characteristics when the plurality of such 45° angularly oriented, or 90° vertically oriented, standard single-pin coaxial connector mounting flange structures 114 are mounted thereon, whereby the location or accommodation of such radio frequency system subassemblies 110 within predetermined spatial requirements or housings still remains problematic.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved radio frequency coaxial connector mounting flange structure wherein not only can the center-to-center distance defined between adjacent coaxial electrical connectors effectively be minimized, so as to, in turn, reduce the overall width dimension characteristic of the radio frequency system subassembly when a plurality of radio frequency coaxial connector mounting flange structures are fixedly mounted upon the radio frequency system subassembly, but in addition, the overall height dimension or depth profile of the radio frequency system subassembly can likewise be maintained as small as possible so as to permit such radio frequency system subassemblies to be readily and easily accommodated within predetermined spatial requirements or housings as may be necessary, such as, for example, within military or commercial aircraft, satellites, and the like, wherein the amount of space that is available for accommodating electronic apparatus is always at a premium.